Lead QA Engineer

Location: Remote
Hours: 10–20 hours/week
Rate: Competitive hourly (AUD)

The Role

We’re looking for a QA Lead who can take full ownership of our testing approach and execute on it. This is a solo role (for now), perfect for someone who’s both strategic and hands-on.

You won’t be managing a QA team (yet), but you’ll be setting the foundation for how we test, release, and build confidence in the product. You’ll collaborate closely with engineering and product, weigh in on risk, and make sure nothing critical slips through the cracks.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead comprehensive QA strategy for a hospitality integration platform, with special focus on POS/PMS system integrations

• Design and execute critical integration testing for hotel PMS systems and food service POS platforms to prevent payment duplications, booking errors, and system failures

• Establish rigorous testing protocols for financial transactions, payment processing, and guest experience workflows, where zero tolerance for errors is required

• Develop automated testing frameworks from scratch, including API testing suites for third-party integrations

• Implement load testing and capacity planning to identify system breaking points before they impact partners

• Create comprehensive SIT (System Integration Testing) processes for multi-platform environments

• Build scalable QA processes that ensure first-time-right implementations for partner integrations

• Establish quality gates and testing environments that mirror production scenarios for hotel and restaurant partners

• Lead root cause analysis for integration issues and implement preventive measures

• Mentor development teams on quality practices specific to hospitality technology integrations

Required Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in software quality assurance with 2+ years in a lead role

• Extensive experience with POS/PMS system integrations and hospitality technology platforms

• Proven track record in financial transaction testing with zero-defect tolerance for payment processing

• Expert-level API testing skills with experience in complex third-party integrations

• Strong automation testing capabilities - must be able to build test frameworks from scratch

• Load testing and performance testing expertise to identify system capacity limits

• System Integration Testing (SIT) experience with multi-vendor environments

• Experience with test automation frameworks and tools (Selenium, Cypress, REST Assured, etc.)

• Proficiency in load testing tools (JMeter, LoadRunner, or similar)

• Knowledge of CI/CD integration and DevOps practices

• Experience with Agile/Scrum methodologies and quality gate implementation

• Strong leadership and mentoring skills with the ability to work independently

• Excellent communication and stakeholder management abilities

• Critical requirement: Experience with payment gateway testing and financial compliance

Preferred Qualifications

• Hospitality industry experience with hotel management systems (Opera, Amadeus, Sabre) or restaurant POS systems

• Payment processing and financial systems testing background

• Experience with integration platforms (Zapier, MuleSoft, Dell Boomi, etc.)

• Knowledge of cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) and microservices architecture

• Experience with mobile testing and cross-platform applications

• Background in security testing and PCI compliance

• Experience with database testing and data validation

• Certifications in QA/Testing (ISTQB, Agile Testing, etc.)

• Experience with quality metrics and KPI development for integration success rates

Who are Local Peoples?

Local Peoples is a strategic research and design studio based in Melbourne and Canberra.

Our mission is to design healthy, resilient and resourceful communities. We are proud to be a certified B-Corporation with a strong focus on our social, environmental and economic impact.

We work across brand and digital design, place and experience design,, content and community engagement. Our key partners include state and local government, social enterprises, universities and large commercial organisations. All are experiencing complex challenges right now and we believe that design research, thinking and delivery can help to solve these challenges and make positive change for people and the planet.

We produce www.mattersjournal.com, a publication and community of 100K+, which focuses on design-led social innovation and impact.

Why join Local Peoples?

• Representative and inclusive - we are dedicated to building an inclusive and accessible workplace for people from diverse backgrounds

• Impact driven - work towards achieving real impact for people and the environment

• Fantastic culture - driven by a welcoming, supportive and collaborative team environment

• Professional support for design excellence- benefit from being a part of one of Australia’s fastest growing design and delivery communities

• Flexible working arrangements - including the ability to work remotely

• Market rate salaries - attractive remuneration packages in line with the market rate

• Flexible employment types - including the preference for permanent, but will consider contracting

Local Peoples proudly supports the LGBTQ+ community, neurodiverse individuals, and First Nations people. We are committed to creating inclusive spaces where everyone, regardless of their identity, feels valued and respected. Together, we strive for equality and a positive future for all.

Local Peoples works, creates, and plays on the lands of the Wurundjeri, Bunurong, and Wathaurong peoples of the Kulin Nation, land which has never been ceded. We thank them for caring for this land for over 40,000 years and recognize and pay our deepest respect to Elders past, present, and emerging. This always was and always will be Aboriginal land